A cycling club in Cork has been told its planned cyclocross races cannot go ahead because of concerns over insurance.
De Ronde Van Cork has been planning to host
its annual event at Tramore Valley Park in coming weeks, as it has done for the
last two years.
However, an issue has now emerged
because the course is on lands owned by Cork City Council.
The council underwrites its own
insurance – meaning it is effectively self-insured – and it is seeking
additional insurance cover before it will allow the racing to take place.
The council appears to be concerned that
if two riders crash and one is injured, the local authority may be liable for
an insurance claim.
De Ronde Van Cork chairman Michael
Corkery said it was unclear to the club why the insurance cover had emerged as
an issue now, despite the race being in its third year.
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He added racing had been held on lands
owned by Cork County Council, with no insurance issues arising; yesterday’s
event in Mallow just one example.
“We’re accredited with Cycling Ireland. Every
rider signs a declaration beforehand, and they all have their own Cycling
Ireland medical insurance. This has never been an issue,” he said.
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Corkery explained to stickybottle that
the kind of insurance cover the council was seeking has not been available to
the club.
“They are stopping it
by looking for a type of cover that is not available in the marketplace,” he
said of the council.
“Fourteen different
insurers have been contacted across UK and Ireland,” he explained, adding none
of the insurers was able to offer the cover the council was seeking.
Cork City Council issued a statement to
the Evening Echo newspaper in Cork, saying it had no desire to stop racing.
“The city council has a very strong
record of supporting various sporting, and other, bodies in holding events
within the city,” it said.
“However, we also have a duty of care to
protect both participants and the council from exposure to risk.
“The cover sought is no different from
that sought from any other groups availing of city council facilities.
“If the appropriate insurance is put in
place, we will continue to work with the organisers to facilitate the event
taking place.”
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